WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. –Big names - by Purdue standards - gathered in San Diego more than two years ago.

Drew Brees was there. Other former Boilermakers were in attendance. Purdue president Mitch Daniels was part of the discussion along with members of the school’s Board of Trustees –Tom Spurgeon and Michael Berghoff, two former football players.

They played golf, talked football and closely examined the program’s facilities. No surprise, Purdue was woefully behind and needed to move quickly to show a commitment to a struggling program.

“That was a turning point,” Daniels said earlier this summer.

The No. 1 idea from the summit is set to open.

The $65 million Football Performance Complex is ready for its occupants to enter the front door of the three-level structure, which totals 112,000 square feet and is connected to the Mollenkopf Athletic Center.

They did that Friday, with the players moving into their new locker room and coaches and support personnel settling into their new offices.

By Sunday, first-year coach Jeff Brohm will hold team meetings, walk up the steps onto the practice field and continue preparations for the Sept. 2 opener against Louisville at Lucas Oil Stadium.

The players were shown their new digs Thursday. They rejoiced on social media, posting selfies and videos. Each locker is trimmed with 800 linear feet of LED lighting with backlit player nameplates. There’s a huge video wall with four screens.

This is the start of a new era of Purdue football! Can't wait to watch my Boilermakers play! https://t.co/9HK0nzME0U

“We are excited to move into the Big Daddy,” he added, giving the complex another nickname.

Standing in the north end zone of the practice facility, it's easy to see the changing landscape, especially when you add the permanent lights at Ross-Ade Stadium. The program has a different look and feel. Maybe soon the product on the field will take similar steps.

But without the summit in 2015, it’s hard to imagine Purdue reaching this point in such a quick fashion.

Populous, an architecture firm which designed the project, was in San Diego. They showed a comparison of how Purdue stacked up with other Big Ten programs along with Notre Dame. Purdue ranked in the average/OK and below average/bad in 12 of the 18 categories.

“I couldn’t disagree that seemed to be the way to go,” Daniels said. “That converted me. This is going to have to be about more than - do we have the right coach? As important as that is, the summit was a big bench marking exercise.”

The decision-makers didn’t wait in typical Purdue fashion. By October, Daniels, Berghoff and then-athletic director Morgan Burke made the announcement.

So far, Brohm has 21 commitments in the 2018 class. Taking recruits on a tour of the new complex has been a game-changer.

“I was blown away,” Florida defensive lineman Willie Lane said in July after committing during a visit.

This is a big – and important – step in changing the narrative about the program. But let’s be clear: Purdue will never be a leader in the facility arms race but it can’t lag behind like it has for many years, even decades.

“I came to understand – and accept really – that facilities like this are the currency of the realm right now,” Daniels said. “You can’t compete at the level we want to without that.”

More upgrades are needed as other Big Ten schools continue building projects, thanks to the increase in television revenue from the conference.

With a renewed commitment from Daniels and the Board of Trustees along with Bobinski and Brohm leading the way, it appears the program – and the university – is poised to take advantage of the new surroundings.